TV Hot Spot: STRIKE!

Strike Update: Meeting helped! But Didn't Stop Strike!

Review by: Sal

Here is an Article about what happened today in the meeting held between the network leaders and the leaders of the WGA. What it basically means is that the talks have helped but did not stop the strike, a meeting will be held later on but no date was released. The strike WILL begin tomorrow and shows will be affected. Now we just have to wait and see how long this actually lasts. Keep visiting for more news! Now here you go, the official Article:

Anyone familiar with the go-round of writers vs producers negotiations from 1999 to 2001 knows that Wells was considered something of a sellout by WGA standardss when he failed to make inroads on the important issue of DVD residuals with the moguls. So it was with immense surprise that I heard his entrance into this weekend's pre-strike fray came not only with the blessing of moguls Barry Meyer of Warner Bros, Peter Chernin of News Corp/Fox, and Bob Iger of Disney/ABC among other CEOs, but also with the blessing of the WGA leadership. I hear that Chair of the WGA Negotiating Committee John Bowman was specifically talking about Wells when he recently made reference to backchannel talks going on. "Bowman decided to use John Wells try to get a dialogue going. The guild has put its trust in Wells," a top WGA insider explained to me.

This, needless to say, is a huge development. At the same time, Wells, one of the biggest names in Warner Bros' TV stable, was already quietly talking to Barry Meyer since the two have a long and close and profitable relationship.

So here's the chronology, best as I can put it together: On Friday, Desperate Housewives' Marc Cherry, who's also part of the WGA negotiating committee, talked with his studio boss, Bob Iger, to see if the moguls would meet with the WGA leadership this weekend. That proved a non-starter, and things really looked bleak.

Wwith the strike about to start Monday. Cherry called Bowman, and Bowman decided to use John Wells "to try to smooth things". Then Wells called Barry Meyer offering to act as, as someone put it to me, "consigliare" (because there are always Godfather references in everything Hollywood does). And Barry Meyer called Bob Iger and Peter Chernin. And then Les Moonves and Michael Lynton and Amy Pascal and Harry Sloan were brought up to speed. And then the moguls got on the telephones not just to one another but also to the top WGA screenwriters and TV showrunners/hyphenates with whom they've all had the longest relationships to schmooze them about the need for backchannel talks.

Sal